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Jun 25, 2014

India unhappy at Russia's Mi-35 sale to Pakistan

India's defence links with Russia are under strain following Moscow's recent decision to supply Mi-35 'Hind E' attack helicopters to Pakistan.
Senior Indian officials are closely monitoring Russian attempts to sell an unspecified number of Mi-35s to Pakistan: a move that would tear up a decades-old informal understanding between Delhi and Moscow against supplying Islamabad any materiel.
Pakistan's national security and foreign affairs adviser travelled to Moscow to thank Russian Foreign Minister for the helicopters on 21 June, just two days after Indian leaders raised concerns in New Delhi with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
It remains unclear how many Mi-35s Russia has agreed to supply and the status of negotiations. The Pakistan Army's existing attack helicopter fleet is made up of a mix of AH-1F/S Cobras supplied by the United States. These are used to provide surveillance, attack, and close air support to ground forces engaging militants in the Tribal Areas and surrounds.janes